Loose-leaf binder



March 2 l, 1926. s 1,574,916

H. c. MILLER LoosE LEAF BINDERv Filed July 17 1925 Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 5

HENRY C. MILLER, 0F MILWAUKEE," WISCONSIN.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.y

Application filed July 17, 192,5.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. MILLER, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in thecounty of Milwaukeev and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and use-ful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a descripably attaching the extension binder posts to the upper binder head.

In the loose-leaf binder art it is of importance that the construction be reduced to its simplest possible form to elimina-te allunnecessary expense and, at the same time, convenient means must be provided for the rea'dy adjustment of the binder capacity to accommodate any number of sheets. Having the above features that are desirable in a commercially successful loose-leaf binder in mind, this invention has as one ofits objects the provision ,of an improved construction wherein a locking lug cooperates with a locking recess to connect each post with the upper binder head. l

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved loose-leaf binder post having means for maintaining a tension on its connection with the upper binder head to prevent the accidental releasing of the binder.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved binder contruction of the character described in which each post is provided with a transverse recess or opening adapted to receive a pin or locking member carried by the upper binder lead to readily releasably secure the post to the head.

vWith the above and other objects in viewv Serial No. 44,273.

and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated several complete examples of the physical embodiment of my inventionconstructed according to the best modes I have so far devised for the. practical application of the principles thereof, and in which: Figure 1 is a view looking at the rear end of a loose-le-af binder embodying my invention, portions thereof being broken away and in section to more clearly illustrate structural details; Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a loose-leaf binder looking thereat from the rear, said View being partly in section and partly in elevation; Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating one end of the upper binder head of a loose-leaf binder equipped with a fui#v ther modified form of my invention, a por-` tion of the binder post being broken away andin section;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in eleva`r tion, partly in' section, taken through Figure 3 on the plane of the line 4 4, and illustrating the construction of the attaching end portion of the post, thel post being detached from the loose-leaf binder;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2A of a further modified form of my invention, and

. Figure, 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 of still another modified form of my invention. vReferring now more particularly yto the accompanying drawing, in which like-nujmerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numerals 5 and 6 designate, respectively, upper and lower binder heads adapted to liingedly mount cover members 7, but one being shown, betweenV which a body of leaves 8 is adapted to be ,confined by one or more binder posts 9 connecting the binder heads 5 and 6 in the manner to be described.

The binder heads are preferablj7 formed from sheet metal and their ends are closed by caps 10 from which project laterally lugs 11, see Figure 3, to receive the hinge rods or pintles 12 of the cover 7. The lower head 6 is preferably closed on all sides and the lower ends of the posts 9 are threadedly connectedtherewith' in a suitable manner, one form being by a screw 1'3, see Figure 5. The free `end portions of the posts pass upwardlythrough openings 1i in the upper binder head to extensively lie Within the channel-15 of the head, tl-'i'echannel preferably being normally opened, although it may be provided with suitable cover, not shown. l y

The'4 binder posts free end portions are" readily releasably connected with the upperA head to'locl-the binder against extension by means of locking lugs or studs 16 adapted to be engaged' in rec'ei'vin@P recesses: 17, and inthe forms of my VVinvention illustrated Figures 1 tol 5, inclusi-ve, the' studs 16 are fied' to the bottoni wall' .of thev upper head and: the recesses or openings 17 are formed transverselyin the 'free end portions of the posts.` In that form of my invention'ill-ustrated in Figure 6', the order is reversed and the studs 16 are carriedy by the" free end portions of the posts and are engageable in the recesses 17 formed in the bottom of the upper head. c. I l

Referring to Figure 1, a member 18 is carried by the Yfree end portion of each post and the openings 17 are' formedl therein.

, The openings 17 accommodate' a' varianlcein thenumber of lsheets 8 confined in the binder and thestuds 116 are engaged in the open'g' ings' 17 best suited fer theu'mber orL sheets.. For adjustments", betweenl adjacent openings 17, the threaded ends 19 of the innermost pivoted links 20 of the posts are kadjustedin the extension sectidns 21 thereof, wl'iich form part of the, posts' and are 'seeured to the lower binder head,

The outer ends ofthe members 18 pref-Vv erably have angular linger pieces 22 riveted or otherwise secured thereon, as at 23,150' facilitate the disengagement of the posts fromv the studs 16. As best illustrated Figure 1,*the ends of the openings 17 are Vslightly iiared or rounded' and thee'nds `of the studs 16 are rounded to facilitate the engaging or spri'i'igin'g of the posts thereover while a slight tension is impressed on the posts. In operation, the upper head is pressed downwardly against the sheets 8 and the free end portions of the postsv swung into' the channel 15, the openings 17 registering with the studs 16 being sprung thereover. If the properl tension is not afforded by the engagement of the studs in the adjacent openings, the post portions 19 are threaded in or out ofthe ezitensi'on sections 21 the desired distance, as will be readily apparent.

The modified construction of my invention illustrated in Figure 2 eliminates all but one of the openings 17 in each member 18, and said member has a threaded stud 24 extended rearwardly therefrom which is engaged in a turnbuckle 25 in the other end of which a4 studA 26 is threaded, the stud 26 bei-ng carried by the innermost pivoted link 27 of the adjacent post. In this form of my invention ift-heopenings17 fail to properly register with the studs 16 after the upper Vbind-"er.head has been pressed against the leaves 8, the turnbuckles 25 are engaged at their knurledportions 28 and rotated to shorten or lengthen the posts, as the case may be. v

In Figures 3 and* 4', al form of my invention' somewhat similar to Figure 1 is illustrated wherein the member 18' is in the form of a sleeve and lias'a centralv bore 29 in which' a plunger 3Q is slidable, the plunger having apertures "31 adapted to register with the apertures 17 ofthe member 1'8'. The plunger 30y has'a limited sliding movein'ent in the bore' 29 which is .defined by a limit plug 32 .carrie'd thereby and workingin a' slot 33 formed in the side of the member; lVhenf thestud 32'engagesthe outer end of the slot 33', the apertures 17 and 31 are slightly disaligned and when the stud engages the other end of the slot the apertures are aligned'. An' eX- pansion spring 34' is confined between the inner end of the bore' 29 and the inner end of the plunger 30 to yieldably urge thev plunger 30 to itsl position disaligni'ng the apertures.

The linger engaging piece 22 is secured to the end of the plunger 30 instead of to the member 18, and the openings 31 of the plunger are so flared at their ends that in ei'ig'a'gingl one of the openings over the studA 1'6' the plunger 3T is moved inwardly against the spring 34' as will be apparent. With this construction' the' tension maintained on the stud 16 by the springtity normally tends todisalign the openings: 17 and 31 and prevents disl'odgement of the posts from the studs 16. Y

In Figure 5 another modification of my invention is illustrated in which tension. is applied to the pins or` studs16 in a slightly different manner and' a slight variance in the number of sheets 8 in the binder is a'cconimodated by the sprii'ig for applying the tension to the pins In'thi's form of my in-' vention, each member 18 has a Yrearwardly extending stud 35 which is slidable in the bore of a sleeve 36 carried by the outermost link 37 of the adjacent post, thestud 35 l'iaving an apertured lug 38 in' which' one end of a .contractile spring is secured, the other end of the' spring 39flz `eingl fixed to thev sleeve 36 at the inner end of its bore' by a` pin 40. As will be apparent, the springs 39l normally tend to draw the studs 35 into the sleeves 36,

llO

and, in securing the binder in closed position, the members 18 are extended against the tension of the springs 89 and-the openings 17 thereof in alignment with the studs are engaged thereover, the tension or' the springs 39 maintaining a pressure on the leaves 8 and preventing accidental disengagement ot the members 18 from the studs.'

1n the -forms of my invention previously described, the studs 16 are carried by the upper binder head and in Figure 6 the order is reversed and the studs are formed on the linger engaging members 22 and are in the :torni of curved locking lugs or projections. The linger engaging members'22are carried by the outer ends of threaded studs l1 which are adjustable in tubes or sockets 12 carriedv by the free ends of the posts, sleeves 43 telescoping over the sockets 42 to conceal that portion of the studs 11 extended therebeyond. The sleeves 43 are secured, as at 44, to shoulders t5 formed on the outer ends of the studs l1 and to which the linger engaging pieces 22 are riveted. The locking studs or lugs 16 are curved in the manner illustrated in Figure G so that their outer ends, upon registering with the innermost edges of the adjacent openings 17 in the bottom of the binder head, lwill be engaged therein upon application of pressure, the

finger engaging piece curved portion engag-v ing behind the edges of the openings.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily obvious to those skilled in the art to which an invention of this character appertains that I have provided a very simple type of loose-leaf binder wherein variations in the number oit sheets secured therein may be readily accommodated and at the same time the construction of the binder is reduced to its simplest form to permit its manufacture at a relatively low cost.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a loose-leaf binder, an upper binder head membeig'a binder post member adapted to be adjustably connected with the head member and having one end portion normally 'free and extensible in said head member, cooperating` means between the post member and head member to adjustably and releasably connect the post member with the head member, said means including a stud carried by one member and engageable with a part carried by the otherjmember, and means independent of said stud and part to accommodate relatively small adjustments between the members.

2. A loose-leaf binder, comprising a pair ot binder heads, a post adapted to adjustably connect the heads, one end of the post being secured to one head and its other end portion being tree and extensible in the second head, a plurality of attaching means carried by the post tree end portion and spaced longitudinally therealong, and means carried by the second head and engageable with the lpost carried means to connect the same with .ot-binder heads, a post adapted to adjustably vconnect the heads, one end of the post being secured to one head and its other end portion being free and extensible in the second head, and a stud carried by the upper binder head and selectably engageable in a plurality of apertures in the tree end portion of the post to connect the same therewith against retraction.

4f. A loose-leaf binder, comprising` a pair ot binder heads, a post adapted to adjustably connect the heads, one end oic the post being secured to one head and its other end portion being free and extensible in the second head, a stud carried by the upper binder head and engageable in any one of a plurality ot apertures in the free end portion of the post to connect the same therewith against retraction, and means for shortening and lengthening the distance between the free end portion of the binder post and the lower binder head to accommodate for adjustments between adjacent apertures.

5. A loose-leaf binder, comprising a pair of binder heads, a post member adapted to adjustably connect the heads, one end of the post being secured to one head, an attaching member carried by the other end portion of the post and adapted to be connected with j the second head, said member being extensible with respect to the post, and a stud carried by the upper binder lhead and engageable in an aperture in said member.

6. A loose-leaf binder, comprising a pair of binder heads, a post member adapted to adjustably connect the heads, one end of the post being secured to one head, an attaching member carried by the other end portion of the post and adapted to be extensively secured in the second head, said member being eXtensible with respect to the post, and stud carried by the upper binder head and engageable in one of a plurality of apertures in said member.

7. A loose-leaf binder, comprising a pair llt) mally tending to draw said member to its re- Y.

tracted position.

S. A loose-leaf binder, comprising a pair of binder heads, a post adapted to adjustably connect the heads, one end vot the post be- 13G ing .secured =to one `head and its other Aend with @aid xhad, `and .spring means ,adapted portion being free and extensible in :the sectoxert n fff-lfctonal, Contact between the -post 0nd had, 2L ,phugnlty of attaching means Carried-means -andsad.Secondhcad carried 10 carried by the post free end portion yand n'leansio p1-'event ythe accidental freeing `of 5 spaced longitudinallytherlealong,means carthe post `fflfomtheseeonckheald.

redby the secondhead audiengageable with Imtestnmnywhereof I a'x my sguaur the post carried means -to cohneetgthe posi; HENRYrC. MILLER. 

